One of the most popular accessories for trucks and recreational vehicles is a truck box used to store and secure a variety of tools and other items. There are a number of different types of storage or truck boxes, including cross-over boxes, side mount boxes, chest boxes, top mount boxes, RV boxes and others. Truck boxes of this type are typically formed of aluminum tread plate, and comprise a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall and opposed end walls which are interconnected to form a hollow interior. The truck box interior is closed by a top wall or lid pivotal between open and closed positions on a hinge mounted to the back wall, usually with the assistance of gas springs.
In order to secure the lid in the closed position, most truck boxes include a pair of latch elements each mounted to the front wall in position to releasably engage one of a corresponding pair of striker bars carried by the lid. Each latch element has a capture plate which is pivotal between a latched position in which it engages one of the striker bars on the lid, and an unlatched position wherein the striker bar is released to permit the lid to be opened. The capture plates of the latch elements must be moved to the latched and unlatched positions simultaneously, and this is achieved in most truck box designs by one or more operating rods connected between the latch elements. Movement of the operating rod(s) in one direction causes the capture plates to move to the unlatched position, and the operating rod(s) may also function to return the capture plates to a latched position upon movement in the opposite direction. In alternative designs, the capture plates may be returned to a latched position by the operation of one or more return springs or by engagement of the striker plates with the capture plates.
Truck boxes of the type described above typically include one or more locking mechanisms to secure the lid in a closed position on the box. In some designs, a locking mechanism is incorporated in one or both of the latch elements to restrict movement of the capture plate between the latched and unlatched position. Other designs employ one or more locking mechanisms which are separate from the latch elements and act directly on the operating rod(s) to move the latch elements between a latched and unlatched position.
Most locking mechanisms used in truck boxes are locked and unlocked using a key. This is often inconvenient when such boxes are mounted to a pickup truck or other vehicle at a job site, for example, where a number of individuals need access to the contents of the box. Keys may be lost or misplaced, and if only one person has a key to a given box then he or she must be present in order for another to gain access. It is undesirable to leave a truck box unlocked and unattended at a job site with tools or other valuable items inside.